Spring has been absolutely, wonderfully beautiful this year. Except for the lack of rain, I cannot remember a more pleasant time March and early April. Our back door has been propped open for days to allow the kids and puppy to come and go as they wish, and to let the wonderful air in. I call the kids in around 8:30, just as it's getting dark, to get ready for bed. As the time without rain extends there is less grass and more dirt in the yard. Therefore, the kids are coming in covered in ever increasing amounts of filth. Juliana looked like she had been rolling in the dust for hours when she came in last night.
It's a beautiful sight to me. Last year (and the years before) the kids barely stepped in the backyard. We had two large dogs who made the backyard a minefield of poop. While I miss my pups, I am happy to have regained use of the yard. Add the fact that Max had so much homework that by the time he was finished, there was little time to go outside and I was too exhausted to supervise. Now that we've changed our lives to include homeschooling there is plenty of time for playing outside. On an average day, the kids probably spend three hours playing in the fresh air and sunshine.
The little girl who cuddled up to me for her story last night had streaks of dirt still under her nails and on her cheeks, even after a good pre-bedtime scrubbing. She was tired after a full day of play, and happy to settle down. We read a chapter of Little House on the Prairie, and then her selection of Good Night, Little Bear by Patsy Scarry and illustrated by one of our favorites, Richard Scarry. It's a book about a playful bedtime, one that made Juliana giggle. She believes that Papa Bear had no idea Baby Bear was on his shoulders the whole time. She wants to see if she can pull that trick on her daddy. Somehow, I think she could.
No comments:
Post a Comment